Time switch



Dec. 15, 1953 o so 2,662,943

TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR D. MORRISON TIME SWITCH Dec. 15, 1953 Filed Oct. 10, 1952 Dec. 15, 1953 MORRISON 2,662,943

TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 jtlarn INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 15 195 3 TIME SWITCH David Morrison, Two Rivers, Paragon Electric Company,

Wis., assignor to Two Rivers, Wis.,

a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 10, 1952, Serial No. 314,051

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to time switches and is an improvement over that disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,251,429 of August 5, 1941, issued to Emil F. Swensen, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

This invention has the same general objects as that disclosed in the prior patent, such as providing a time switch in which the trippers are provided with operating means which are 1ocated on the rear side of the timing dial and which is so constructed that the switch has a quick break and a quick make and in which manually operable means are provided on the front of the outer plate or face plate which may be manipulated to operate the switch but which nevertheless will not interfere with its correct successive operation by the respective trippers of the timing dial.

This invention has for its specific object the reduction of the expense of making the time switch and the reduction of the number of parts necessary for its construction and particular in the reduction of friction.

This invention has for its specific object the material reduction of friction by the elimination of a carriage which carriage had a combined rocking and a longitudinal sliding motion and which slid against an operating lever which operated the switch arms or switch means.

In greater detail, objects of this invention are to provide a switch operating lever which has only rocking motion and to provide a longitudinal reciprocable locking plunger which tempv rarily locks the switch in either its open or closed position and which suddenly releases the switch and allows a quick opening or quick closing mo tion thereof.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a face View of the device with a part broken away and with the device removed from the metal box or housing.

, Figure 2 is a side View of the structure shown in Figure 1 partly in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3. of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear view partly broken away and partly in section showing the switch open.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-45, of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the switch operator assembly.

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 but showing the switch in its other position from that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a view corresponding to Fi ure 3 showing the trippers and the switch operating lever or arm in a diiferent position from that shown in Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary rear view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the switch closed.

Referring to the drawings,itwill be seen that the device comprises a time switch which is mounted on an insulating rear panel or plate I which supports a front plate 2, a timing dial 3, a self starting synchronous motor 4, and intermediate gearing 5 between the motor 4 and the timing dial 3 so that the timing dial 3 executes one complete revolution every twenty-four hours. Obviously, other motor means could be employed if desired. The timing dial is clamped to a main shaft 6 which is driven from the motor 4 through the gearing hereinabove described. The timing dial 3- is clamped rigidly to the shaft 6 by means of a thumb nut l threaded on such shaft. The thumb nut also clamps the trippers indicated B and 9 which are pivoted on the shaft and which are adiustably clamped in any desired position to the timing dial 3. These trippers are provided with operating means It) and I I which act on the cam [2 carried by the switch lover or switch operating arm 13, the switch lever or switch operating arm being also manually operable and in addition to this acting as a switch indicating means to indicate the condition of the switch whether on or off. The designations on and ch? as indicated at M and 55 are stamped on the front plate 2.

It is to be noted that the front plate 2 is provided with an arcuate slot H which has a centrally located tongue I? projecting thereinto thus providing two spaces on opposite sides of the tongue into which the locking tongue !8 of a locking plunger it, see Figure 7, is adapted to seat.

The details of the switch mechanism will not be described in great detail since it follows very closely that shown in the prior patent to Swensen hereinabove noted. For example, the particular manner in which the operating means on the trippers coact with the cam means on the switch operating lever and the manner in which the dial is set with reference to the stationary pointer and other features of this order correspond exactly to the prior patent. However the differences over the Swensen patent will be emphasized as the description proceeds. It is to be noted also that either one or a plurality of switch means can be employed as described in the prior patent, a, single switch means being shown for the sake of simplicity.

As described in detail in the prior patent, the operating means II on the tripper 9 moves the switch lever 13 to the on position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, whereas the operating means ID on the tripper 8 moves the switch operating lever 13 to the ofi position as shown in full lines in Figure 3.

A rocking switch operating lever 20, see Figure 7, is provided and the sole motion of this lever is a rocking motion. It carries a switch operating insulating sleeve 2! which is locked to the lever by means of a bolt 22, see Figure 6. The switch operating sleeve or member 2: projects through a hole 23 in the panel i see Figure 10, and moves from the full line position shown in section in Figure 10 to the dotted line position. It coacts with the switch arm 24 which carries the movable contact 25. The movable contact in turn engages or disengages the stationary contact 25. The contacts and the synchronous motor are connected in any suitable manner to any desired number of terminals indicated generally by the reference character 2? carried on the front side of the panel I.

It is usual to mount the entire switch construction in a metal box, not shown.

The switch operator or rocking lever 26 is provided with a hub 28 rigid therewith which is pivotally supported and in which the rounded portion 29 of a shaft rigid with the manipulating and switch indicating lever is is positioned for free rotation. The exploded view of Figure '7 shows very clearly the several parts of this particular portion of the structure while the sectional view, Figure 6, shows their assembled position. The shaft of the switch operating arm i3 is providedwith a squared portion which passes through the hublike structure 3| which hub is provided with a squared hole 32 for the reception of the squared portion 38 of the shaft so that hub structure 33 turns as a rigid unit with the switch operating arm 13. The hub structure 3| is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting arms 33 located at diametrically opposite points and with a rearwardly projecting arm 34 adapted to be received within the inner end of a spring 35. The outer end of the spring 35 is provided with a hook which fits over the projecting tongue 3'! of the switch operator 2!]. The hub 3|, it will be noted, is provided with an annular slot 38 which slidably receives the slotted portion 39 of the locking bolt or plunger l9. In assembling the plunger or bolt it on the hub 3i, the outer portion of the hub is passed through the enlarged rounded portion 40 of the plunger 19 and thereafter the plunger is slid back into the position shown in Figure 6. A small spring 4| is interposed between the plunger or looking bolt l9 and the rear tongue 31 of the switch operator 29, as shown in Figure 6, thus always urging the locking bolt inwardly towards the hub 3 l.

The switch operator 2B is provided with a portion 42 turned at right angles to its main body and provided with a slot 43 for the slidable reception of the bolt or plunger is. It is provided with a small notch lsi so that the tongue l8 of the locking plunger 19 may be passed therethrough during assembly. It is to be noted that the slidable locking bolt or plunger I9 is provided with oppositely positioned inwardly projecting ears 45 which are adapted to be engaged by one or the other of the arms 33 of the hub structure 3| whenever the switch operating lever is rocked.

It is preferable to provide a small annular groove 46 in the outer end of the rounded portion 29 of the shaft rigid with the switch arm l3 so that it may receive a locking ring or spring washer i! to lock the parts in their assembled position as shown in Figure 6.

It is obvious from the description hereinabove given and from the consideration of the drawings that when the switch arm I3 is rocked in one direction, one of the arms 33 of the hublike member 3i engages an arm 45 of the longitudinally reciprocable plunger l9 and forces the plunger forwardly, that is to say, downwardly as viewed in either Figure 5 or Figure 8. This moves its tongue I8 outwardly beyond the stationary tongue I1 in the slot i6. While this is occurring, it is to be noted that the hub structure 3| rocks its arm 34 towards the right or left as viewed in Figure 8 or Figure 5, respectively, and thus distorts the spring 35 laterally to thereby store energy in the spring 35 to cause the switch operator or rocking lever 20 to move with a snap action in one direction or the other, thus opening or allowing the switch to close with a snap action. It is to be noted that the spring 35 is a tightly coiled spring with the successive convolutions in contact with each other. It has been found that if the inner end of this closely coiled spring is bent at an angle by the arm 35 that the rest of the spring tends to align itself with this inner end and the outer end will move the tongue 31 and thus will move the operator 29.

It is to be noted from reference to Figure 10,

' that when the insulating member 2| carried by the switch operator 2t moves to the left as viewed in Figure 10 that the switch suddenly opens with a snap action, similarly, when the member 2| moves to the right from its dotted to its full line position, the switch will close with a snap action, it being understood that the switch arm 24 is made of spring metal.

It will be seen that the switch operator 20, see Figure 6, directly carries the locking longitudinally reciprocable plunger [9 and that the sole function of the operator 2B is to rock, such member having no sliding or longitudinal motion whatsoever. The locking and releasing occurs due to the longitudinal sliding motion of the locking bolt or member 19.

As described in detail in the above noted copending patent, the operating arm of the switch may be manually manipulated and will not interfere with the subsequent automatic operation of the switch.

It is to be noted that the shaft 29, 30 constitutes a rock shaft and is rigidly secured to the switch operating arm I3. Further, it is to be noted that energy is stored in the spring 35 and is transmitted, not to the sliding plunger 19, but directly to the rocking switch operating lever 20. Further it is to be noted that the hub 31 is a portion, for all practical purposes, of the rock shaft and that therefore the spring 35 is operatively interposed directly between the rock shaft and the switch operator 2!]. It is to be noted further that although. the switch operating means, strictly speaking, only causes opening of the switch, it nevertheless does in eifect cause closing of the switch means, for example see Figures 4 and 10. The resilient arm 24 of the switch means is biased towards closed position and consequently when the switch operator 20 moves its member 2! away from the switch arm 24 the switch will close.

It is apparent that the trippers may be set wherever desired to cause a sequential operation of the switch at the desired times.

In the claims the timing dial will be referred to as the timing means which, through the medium of the trippers, and associated mechanism operates the switch. The self starting synchronous motor, or other motor means, drives this timing means in some predetermined ratio to the actual passage of time, for example, one revolution of the timing means for each twenty four hours although other ratios could be employed if desired. Further, although a single switch means has been shown and described, it is obvious that any number of switch means could be used. Also, for the sake of simplicity the switch means has been described as opening for one direction of motion of the switch operator or switch operating lever and closing for the other direction of motion of such switch operator, it nevertheless is to be understood that two or more switch means could be used, as in the above noted patent, and they could function in a reverse manner to each other by having one close while the other opened. It is therefore clear that a correspondingly broad interpretation is to be had when the scope of the claimed features is considered.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention, may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted as claimed.

I claim:

1. A time switch comprising motor driven timing means, an electric switch, a switch operating arm having rocking means rigid therewith and rocked from said timing means, a switch operator having rocking motion only tor opening and closing said switch, a locking plunger slidably carried by said switch operator for looking said switch operator against rocking motion, spring means directly interposed between said rocking means and said switch operator for storing up energy when said rocking means is rocked, and means on said rocking means for sliding said locking plunger to release said switch operator.

2. A time switch comprising motor driven timing means, an electric switch, a switch operating arm having rocking means rigid therewith, means adjustably carried by said timing means for rocking said switch operating arm, a switch operator having rocking motion only for opening and closing said switch, a locking plunger slidably carried by said switch operator for looking said switch operator against rocking motion, spring means directly interposed between said rocking means and said switch operator for storing up energy when said rocking means is rocked, and means on said rocking means for sliding said locking plunger to release said switch operator.

3. A time switch comprising timing means, motor means for driving said timing means, electric switch means, a switch operator consisting of a pivoted member having rocking motion only for causing opening and closing of said switch means, a locking plunger slidably carried by said switch operator and spring urged towards looking position and arranged to selectively lock said switch means in open and closed position, a rock shaft, energy storing spring means directly interposed between said rock shaft and said switch operator and tending to urge said switch operator in the same direction that said rock shaft is rocked, said rock shaft having means for caus ing sliding motion of said locking plunger when said rock shaft i rocked, trippers carried by said timing means, and a lever connected to said rock shaft and operated by said trippers to rock said rock shaft in opposite direction.

4. A time switch comprising motor driven timing means, an electric switch, a switch operating arm having rocking means rigid therewith and rocked from said timing means, a switch operator having rocking motion only for opening and closing said switch, a locking plunger slidably carried by said switch operator for locking said switch operator against rocking motion, spring means directly interposed between said rocking means and said switch operator for storing up energy when said rocking means is rocked, and means on said rocking means for sliding said locking plunger to release said switch operator, said switch operator having an upturned arm providing with a guiding slot and said rocking means having an annular groove, said locking plunger being slidably held in said slot and having spaced portions enclosing said rocking means and guided in said annular groove.

DAVID MORRISON,

No references cited. 

